Quaker Island

This year we decided was the right year to finally take the kids out in the boat on the lake.  Now when I say boat, I don't mean a luxury cruiser but a little fishing boat with a little put-put engine on the back.  We live very close to Lough Ree which is the biggest lake on the River Shannon and is a very big part of the life of the community.  The men stand around togged out in all their fishing gear chatting about the may-fly, in the hot weather large groups gather on it's shores for barbecues and parties.  Children learn to swim in the swallow sandy bays while mothers give encouragement to them all the time.

So this year as the kids had been doing swimming lessons for most of the year and had grown more comfortable around the water, we thought it best to bring them out on the promise of a picnic on one of the biggest islands, the Quaker Island.  They have always had a strange fear of the boat but this year its was surprising that they were very willing to head out.

On the first outing we moved slowly out of the harbour and watched their faces closely to see how they were coping.  But they were laughing and smiling the whole time.  Molly, who comes everywhere with us, was the only one shaking and hiding under the bench!

The first excursion we kept quite short, as the Hubby was itching to go fishing and seeing all the may-flies dance was pure torture for him.  So on Sunday afternoon we packed up the boat with a BBQ, tons of food, books, blankets and chairs.  The perfect ingredients for a perfect afternoon.  This time Molly was the first to jump into the boat as soon as it was ready!  This time there was no fear, as she stood looking over the sides trying to catch the waves as they slashed by.

On the island there is the ruins of an old monastery and most of them are still in very good condition considering they're age.

The island is wild and has a certain air of loneliness to it.  The whitetorn and wild flowers bloom freely because there are no people here to destroy or damage their beauty.

This is the place that we chose for our BBQ.  We cooked it outside and then sat lazily among the ruined walls, eating and drinking while chatting merrily.  Afterwards the kids sat back and read their Harry Potter's, the Hubby snoozed under his hat while I sat on the wall sketching this view.  Perfect afternoon.

Finally I'm going to take a break from blogging for a while for a couple of reasons.
The main reason is that my son, who has had a great break from his medication from petit mal epilepsy has once more began having seizures.  He was doing so well and the last thing that we thought would happen was for him to have a relapse.  Normally I am the strong one who has to cope quietly and stay strong for those around me but this time it's hitting me hard.  I need time to concentrate on my little man and get him better.
Secondly I need to come off my dreaded Oxycontin medication because it's having a really bad effect on me now.  Having gone through this withdrawal before, I know exactly how severe that it can be.  I'll have to recover from this in order to have my brain working at full speed once more.
And thirdly, I love blogland but seeing all the fantastic talent that there is out there is a bit overwhelming and is making me feel ever so inferior.  So much so that all of my crafting has come to a complete halt.  I watch with great interest with all of the beautiful things that you make and do and feel like I could never achieve this.  Some quite time crafting my own little things while trying to get through these difficult times ahead I think is what is required.

I will see you all in a couple of months.  Hopefully by then my little studio will be well on it's way to being complete.
Have a happy summer,
Rosie xx